Gelatine-capsule-dipping machine



(No Model.)

, 4 ShetsSheet 1. F. A. HUBEL. GELATINE CAPSULE DIPPING MACHINE. N0.465,933.

Patented Deg. 29, 1891.

W R m 0 M. m 5. M m m Z 71 0 o f H Gm n 7 v N w] (No Model.)

41Shets-Sheet 2. .F'. A. HUBEL.

GELATINE CAPSULE DIPPING MACHINE. No; 465,933.

Patented Dec 29, 1891.

"m: mum: PETER! co., PHOTO-LINE, msnmaron, n. c.

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I'.A.HUBE-L. GELATINB CAPSULE DIPPING MACHINE.

No. 465,933. Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

17V VEW T 0 mom-L MC QQWM WITWESSE'S (No Model.) 4 Sheets-SheetA.

F. A. HUBEL.

GE'LATINE CAPSULE DIPPING MACHINE.

Patented-Dec. 29, 1891.

IIIIIIII WITNESSES INVEWZZQ;

Figs. 1, 5,and 6.

PATENT FFICE.

FREDERICK A. HUBEL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN GELATINE-CAPSULE-YDIPPINGMACHINE.

SIECIFZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,933, dated December29, 1891.

Application filed September 12, 1890. Serial No. 364,793. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. Human, of Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Gelatine-Oapsule-Dipping Machines, of which the following is aspeci-' fication.

This invention relates to a machine for dipping capsule-molds in asolution of gelatine and setting the gelatine on the molds preparatoryto cutting and drying.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, Figure l isa frontview of the machine, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the machine on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection of the machine on the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 showvertical sections and top view of the receiving-plate holder on anenlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a vertical section, enlarged, showing thelifting device, friction-clamp, and stops. Fig. 8 shows the lockingdevice of the starting-gear. Fig. 9 shows the starting-gear.' Fig. 10shows a front view of the device which operates the clutch on the maindriving-pulley, and also the device for unlocking the revolving head.Fig. 11 is an end view of the same, showing the device which looks therevolving head. Fig. 2 shows one of the segmental gears which cause theturnover-plate holder to revolve. tical longitudinal section of theclutch mechanism. Fig. 14: is a top view of the same, and

Fig. 15 is a cross-section on the line T T of.

Fig. 14.

Like numbers indicate like parts in all the drawings.

I 1 is the main frame of the machine, in the form of a table with legs.

2 is a standard fixed to the frame having a horizontal shaft 3 fixed inits upper end, Mounted on the shaft 3 so as to turn freelyupon it aretwo blocks 8, to which blocks are fixed two flat plates 7. Each of theseplates has a strip fixed to one of its edges, having groove 9 formed init. On the opposite side of each plate 7 there is a strip Fig. 13 is aver-' holds it. A spring (not shown) forces the strip endwise and holdsthe catch in its notch.

The capsule-molds are in the shape of pins 13, fixed to the plates 11.The edges of the mold plates fit into grooves 9 and 9', which hold themold-plates While the receiving-plate holder is being turned about theshaft 3, but

permit the mold-plates to be slid in the direction of the grooves. Adisk 4 is fixed to the shaft 3 and to the standard 2, and has a notch 15formed in it, which receives latch 16. This latch works freely'in a slotformed in a yoke 17, fixed to the plate 7. The latch is pivoted at itslower end and is pressed into the notch by a spring 18. A handle 6,fixed to the latch, serves to draw the latch out of the notch and at thesame time turn the plate-holder over. A similar latch and handle isfixed to both plates 7. Next to and in line with the receiving-plateholder 7 is the dipping-plate holder 19, having grooves at its edgeslike those on the receivingplate holder. The grooves in both holdersregister with each other, so that the mold-plates can be pushed from oneto the other. The dipping-plate holder 19 is supported by rods 20, whichare guided to move vertically by the blocks 21, fixe'd to the standard31. A cross-head 22 connects the rods together. The weight of thedipping-plate holder is counterbalanced by a weight or spring throughthe rod or rods 23. The motion of the holder is limited in its downwarddirection by the cross-head 22 coming in contact with the point of theadjusting-screw 24, Fig. 7. It is limited in its upward movement by thecross-head coming in contact with the hook 25. This hook is pivoted tothe frame of the machine at26, Fig. 7, and is held in the position shownby a spring 27, acting on the arm 28, made fast to the hook 25. The hookmay be drawn back out of engagement with the cross-head 22 by pullingdown on the end of arm 28, which will permit the holder 19 to move uphigher, as it is desirable at times.

It is necessary that the molds be raised at a regular speed, and onemeans for doing this is fully set forth in Reissued Letters Patent to F.A. Hubel and H. H. Taylor, No. 10,316. The clamping of the belt to theplate-holder in that machine was performed manually. In

IOC

this machine the clamping of the belt is per formed by mechanical means.An endless belt 29 receives continuous regulated speed from a pulley notshown. This belt passes round a pulley 30, journaled in the standard 31,forming part of the frame of the machine. One part of the belt 29travels vertically upward close to the cross-head 22 and between it andthe clamp 32, Fig. 7. This clamp is pivoted to the end of the short arm33 of a bell-crank, which is pivoted to the cross-head at 34. The longarm of the bell-lever 35 passes through a slot in the cross-head, and awire or chain 36 is connected to its end and extends downward to aconvenient distance to be reached by the operator. A spring 37 holds thearm 35 up and holds the clamp 32 away from the belt 29. lVhen the chain36 is drawn down, the clamp is forced against the belt and pinchesitagainst the cross-head, so that whatever motion the belt 29 may haveis given to the dipping-plate holder. \Vhen the chain 36 is released,the plate-holder is free to move independent of the belt.

Directly below the dipping plate holder 19 is a vessel 38, .containin gliquid gelatine. This invention is not confined to any particular formor construction of vessel. The vessel shown and described in LettersPatent No. 316,896, to F. A. Hubel and F. Reinhold, is well adapted foruse in the present invention. The liquid gelatine is kept at a constantlevel and in motion by a circulating device similar to that shown insaid Patent No. 316,896, which may be driven by a pulley 39 and beltfrom any revolving shaft. The vessel may be heated by a gas-jet 40. Nextto the dipping-plate holder 19 and registering with it is theturnover-plate holder 41. This holder 41 has grooved edges like those onthe holder 19, so that the mold-plates may he slid from one to theother. The turn-over-plate holder 41 is fixed to a. shaft 42, which isjournaled in a revolving head 43. This head is fixed to the shaft 44, journaled in the standard 45, fixed to the frame. A bevel-gear 46 isattached to the shaft 44 and engages the pinion 47, fixed to the shaft48. This shaft is journaled in hangers 49 and 50, which are fixed to theframe. The pulley 51 revolves loosely on the shaft 48 and has clutchteeth formed on its hub, as clearly shown in Fig. 14. The clutch 52 isconnected to the shaft 48 by feathers, so that it can move lengthwise onbut cannot turn on the shaft.

53 is a collar fixed to the shaft 48.

54 is an arm journaled on the collar 53, so that it may be turnedwithout moving the collar.

A spring 55 bears against the collar 53 and forces the clutch intoengagement with the clutch on the pulley 51. A bar 56 is fixed to theclutch 52 and passes freely through an opening in the collar 53, and hasfixed to its end an inclined lug 57, as shown in Fig. 13. A similarlug58, with reversed incline, is fixed to the hub of the arm 54. The arm isnormally held in one position by the link 59, Figs. 11, 13, and 14, sothat as the shaft 48 revolves the inclined lug 57 rides up onto theinclined lug 58 and this draws the clutch 52 out of en gagement with thepulley.

A weight 60 (see Fig. 1) is fixed to the shaft 48 by an arm placed,preferably, in such a position that the weight is traveling downwardwhen the clutch is being drawn apart by the inclines. the first part ofthe revolution of the weight having been made while the clutch is inengagement. This weight acts by its inertia to carry the shaft forwardslightly at the end of each revolution, and thus draw the clutch apartpositively, the inclined faces of the lugs 57 and 58 being soproportioned in relation to the length of the clutch-teeth in engagementthat when brought into the position shown in Fig. 14 the clutch-teethwill be entirely separated. This continued movement given to the shaft48 by the 1211s inertia of the weight completely separating the teeth ofthe clutch prevents their chattering, as they would do if theirseparation depended entirely on the action of the inclines. When theflat faces of the inclined lugs 57 and 58 are brought into the positionshown in Fig. 14, the forward movement of the weight will be stoppedpositively, in which position it will stand until the descent of theclipping-plate will, in a manner hereinafter to be described, cause thearm 54 to be thrown forward far enough, so that the inclined lugs 57 and58 are disengaged, when the spring will instantly throw the clutch 52into engagement with the hub or pulley 51, and the shaft 48 will receiveanother revolution. There are two or more turn-over-plate holders like41. Three are shown, Fig. 3; but any number may be used.

It is necessary that the molds be turned over while the liquid gelatineis setting, so that the capsules will be of even thickness, and they mayrequire to be turned at different intervals of time according to thestate of the atmosphere. One arrangement for turningthe plate-holder 41is shown in the drawings, and consists of a ring 61, concentric with theshaft 44 and fixed to the standard 45. The upper operative surface ofthis ring is the frustum of a cone having its apex at the intersectionof the center lines of shafts 42 and 44. At convenient intervals thereare recesses 62, formed in this ring, which may be filled with blocks,making the conical surface continuous, or by segmental gear-blockssimilar to those shown at 63, Fig. 12. Fixed to the shafts 42 arepinions 64, having two opposite fiat sides and gear-teeth on theremaining two sides. These teeth intermesh with those of the segmentalgears 63, and as the head 43 revolves causes the shaft 42 to make ahalf-revolution. So long as either flat side of the pinion 64 is incontact with the conical surface of the ring 61 the shaft 42 is heldagainst turning and the plateholder 41 is held in a horizontal positionwith the mold-pins standing either vertically up or vertically down. Theplain and gear blocks 63 are interchangeable, so that any desiredcombination may be had. The plate-holders come to rest at the points A,B, and G, and the molds may be removed at either B or C, but aregenerally removed at C. It is desiralole that the machine may beoperated with as little loss of time as possible, and at the same timebe positive in its operation. To this end it should be under the controlof one person, so that the depression of the dippingplate holder and thestarting of the revolving head may be done by one operation. A lever 65,Fig. 2, is pivoted to the frame 31. One end of the lever projects intoward the plate-holder 19. The end of the lever has a detent 66 pivotedto it, which may be raised, but cannot be depressed without moving thelever 65 with it. A lug 67 projects from the plate-holder 19, and as thelatter is depressed the lug engages the detent 66 and forces it' and theend of the lever 65 downward, or the plate-holder itself may strike thedetent with the same efiect. As the lug 67 travels downward, the detenttravels out of engagement with the lug and the lever65 flies back to theposition shown in Fig. 2. Connected to the other end of the lever 65 isa rod 68, which passes down through the table 1, and is connected to abolt 69, which is guided in a bracket 7 O and pressed downward by aspring 71, Figs. 8 and 9. A shaft 72 is journaled at one end in thehanger 50 and at the other end in the hollow sleeve 73,which sleeve isjournaled in the bracket 74, fixed to the frame 1. This sleeve isfixedto and receives continuous rotation from the pulley 75 by means of abelt from any revolving shaft, and is frictionally connected with theshaft, which moves intermittently by means of the following mechanism. Acollar 76 isfixed to the shaft 72 and bears against one end of thesleeve 7 3. which engages the bolt 69. A disk 78 is mounted on the shaft72, adjacent to the pulley 75, so as to slide on it and turn with it.This may be accomplished by making the end of the shaft square andforming a square eye in the disk or other equivalent means. The disk ispressed against the other end of the sleeve 73 by the spring 79, whichmay be regulated by the'thumb-nut S0. of the collar 76 and disk 78 onthe. sleeve 73 tends to revolve the shaft 72 with the sleeve 7 3,and itwill so revolve whenever the bolt 69 releases it.

Fixed to the shaft 72 is a cam 81, Figs. 10 and 11. This cam acts uponan arm 82,fixed to the shaft 83, journaled in the'frame. An arm 84 isalso fixed to the shaft 83 and has its end connected by a rod 85 to abolt 86. The end of the bolt 86 strikes a lug 89, fixed to each of thearms of the head 43 and stops the turn-over-plate holder positively inregister with the dipping-plate holder. \Vhen the bolt is drawn down, itis held down by the catch 90, pivoted to the bar 87 and extending Thiscollar has a lug 77 on it,.

The friction up through the standard 45. A spring 88 serves to force thebolt 86 upward when the latter is released. A lug (not shown) on eacharm of the revolving head 43 forces the catch 99 back before theplate-holder 41 arrives at the position of rest. A, which permits thespring 88 to force the bolt 86 up and stop the revolving head, so thatthe plate-holder 41 registers exactly with the plate-holder 19. Acrank-pin 91, fixed to the shaft 72, is connected by the link 59 withthe arm 54, Fig. 2. When the shaft'72 makes one revolution, the end ofthe arm 54 is moved and returned to its first position, which causes theinclined lug 58 to travel past the lug 57, and thuspermits the clutch 52to engage the pulley 51.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The locking-strip 10 of theupper receivingplate holder 7 is turned down. A mold-plate or set ofplates is placed on the plate-holder and the locking-strip 10 closed.The plateholders 7 are then unlocked and turned over by the upper handle6. The mold-plate is then slid into the dipping-plate holder 19 and atthe same time a second plate is put into the receiving-plate holder 7and turned over. The dipping plate holder is now pressed down and themolds immersed in the liquid gelatine until stopped by the screw 24. Theend of the chain 36 is pulled down, clamping the cross-head 22 to thebelt 29. The molds are thus drawn slowlyout of the liquid gelatine, andwhen the ends of the molds -leave the gelatine the pressure is let offthe clamp and the plate-holder rises quickly to its upper position andis stopped bythe hook 25. The molds in the receiving-plate holder 7 arenow slid into the dipping-plate holder 19, which forces thosein thedipping-plate holder into the turn-over holder 41. A new moldplate islaid in and turned over and the dipping-plate holder depressed, asbefore. 'As the dipping plate holder moves down, it catches the lever 65and carries it down, which draws the bolt- 69' and unlocks the shaft 72.The shaft makes one revolution and is stopped again by the bolt 69,which has come back to its first position. The shaft 72, as it revolves,causes the cam 81 to draw the bolt and unlock the revolving head, andthe bolt is held down by the catch 9.0. At the same time the shaft 72 inrevolving causes the crank-pin 91 to draw the lever 54 back and allowsthe clutch 52 to engage the pulley, which causes the turning head torevolve. Before either of the turn-over-plate holders 41 arrive at theIIO position of rest A a lug on the revolving head forces the catch backand releases the bolt 86 in time to stop the plate-holder 41 just inregister with the dipping-plate holder 19. Just before the plate-holder41 arrives in this position the inclined lug 57 climbs up onto the lug58 and draws the clutch apart; but the motion is continued by the weight60 till the revolving head is brought to a positive stop by the bolt 86.This operation is repeated at each depression of the dippingplate holder19. When the revolvinghead is in motion, the plate-holders ll may beturned over continuously or intermittently or not turned at all,according to the arrangement of the blocks and the segmental gears inthe recesses 62 of the ring 61. iVhenever the revolving head stops, themold-plates may be removed at either the position B or C.

It is obvious that many changes in the relative positions of theelements and in the elements themselves may be made without departingfrom the spirit of this invention. Thus, instead of having the spring 37to act on the clamps 33' to hold it away from the belt, an arm may beprojected on the opposite side and a weight placed thereon. So, also,while it is regarded as preferable that the weight shall be descendingwhen the clutch disengages the pulley the speed of the shaft and thegravity of the weight may be so regulated that it will operate in thesame manner it the disengagement takes place while the weight isascending and the weight is arrested at the upper part of itsrevolution. So instead of having the segmental gear-blocks detachablyplaced in sockets in the ring permanent gear-teeth may be cast on theface of the ring. So, also, instead of a lug 67 on the reciprocatingdipping-plate holder, there may be used any other means of tripping thelever with the movement either of the reciprocating plate or ofareciprocating gelatine-vessel. Boththe plate and gelatine vessel mayand have been made movable, the only essential thingbein g that themolds shallbeimmersed in the gelatine to the requisite depth to form thecapsule. So, also, instead of a rotary receiving-plate holder, a fixedreceiving-plate holder may be used, into which the plate may be slid byhand with its pins pointing downward, and thence he slid into thedipping-plate holder, or the'receiving-plate holder may be dispensedwith entirelyand theplatesslid,pins down,into the dipping-plate holder.So, also, the turnover-plate holders, instead of being attached to ahead revolvingin ahorizontal plane, may be attached to one whichrevolves in a vertical plane either about a central axis or carsuch amanner as to produce an'operative although not an automatic machine, therespective combinations being actuated by hand.Othercomhinationsweresubsequently added to those herein claimed bymyself and Jesse M. Smith, as set forth in our joint application, SerialNo. $645,782, and others by said Jesse M. Smith alone, as set forth inhis application, Serial No. 36l,770. Those combinations are covered byclaims in other applications made concurrently with this upon identicaldrawings, each showing the entire machine, the respective claims of theseveral applications being made according to the fact of joint or soleinvention, and I herein disclaim all the combinations set forth ineither of the said concurrent applications.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a capsule-dipping machine, a rotaryreceiving-plate holder turning upon a fixed axis attached to thestandard on the frame, provided with receiving-grooves on oppositefaces, whereby mold-plates can be received on the upper side and movedso as to turn the points of the pins down, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the dipping-plate holder, a reversiblereceiving-plate holder, and means for turning the mold-plate down sothat the plate-grooves of the latter shall register with the grooves ofthe former, substantially as set forth.

In combination with a dippingplate holder 19, the turn-over-plat eholder 41, registering with it when stopped, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for dipping gelatine capsules, the combination, with avertically-movable dipping-plate holder, of an intermittently-rotatingand turning plate-holder registering with the dipping-plate holder atthe upper end of its stroke, substantially as shown and described.

5." In a machine for dipping gelatine capsules, a receiving-plateholder, a verticallymovable dipping-piate holder, and anintermittently-rotating and turning plate-holder, all in the same plane,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses.

FREDERICK A. IIUBEL.

\Vitnesses'.

RODNEY hIASON, M. A. Howm.

